Part 1 of 3: Confirm that You Have Bruxism
Understand bruxism. Bruxism is really a condition where an individual grinds, gnashes, or clenches his tooth unconsciously. Sleep bruxism may be the condition of doing this during the night.It is linked to daily stress often. Some social people do grind or clench their teeth throughout the day, but bruxism often occurs during the night once the person is asleep. Because of this, it can often be difficult to self-diagnose bruxism.
Check for symptoms when you first wake up. Teeth grinding occurs at night, so you should check in the morning to see for those who have any symptoms. It can be difficult to figure out that you grind your teeth on your own, but here are some signs that may indicate that you do grind your teeth at night:
- A dull, constant headache
- A sore jaw
- Audible teeth grinding sounds as you're falling asleep
- Tooth sensitivity to heat, chilly, or brushing
- Swelling of the gums (gingivitis)
- Wounds on the inside of the cheeks (from biting)
Ask a loved one. If you sleep in exactly the same bed as someone you care about, simply ask her or him if he has have you ever heard you grinding your tooth in your rest. Ask him to awaken earlier than you or go to sleep later than you also to consider any signs of tooth grinding. If this individual wakes up in the center of the full night, he should consider those symptoms also.
If you sleep by yourself but really want to concur that you're grinding your teeth alongside checking for the symptoms, then you can certainly consider recording yourself when you sleep and listening for just about any grinding sounds.
Ask a dentist. If you suspect that you have already been grinding your teeth, check with your dentist. He or she can test your mouth and jaw for indications of bruxism like jaw tenderness or worn-down teeth. As soon as you find out you have bruxism, there are several true home remedies that you could try along with some professional treatments, that can help treat your trouble. The dentist may also check to ensure that you are not experiencing various other ailments that cause similar discomfort such as:
- Dental disorders
- Ear disorders or infections
- TMJ or TMD (Temporomandibular problems)
- A side-effect of a medication
Part 2 of 3: HOME CURES
Lessen your stress. Stress is one main cause of teeth grinding, and that means you should try to relieve your stress. It is possible to relieve the stress that you experienced by attending stress guidance, exercising, or meditating. Here are a few other ways to lessen your stress:
- Eliminate any major resources of stress in your life. If you are stressed out due to an unbearable roommate or perhaps a terrible relationship, it is time to get these negative sources from your life and move on.
- Go to bed and wake up at the same time every day. This will give you more energy to deal with your daily life.
- Have fun with friends. Make time to laugh, be silly, and just do nothing with your friends. This will help you unwind.
- Eat well. Eating three well-balanced and healthy meals each day will make you feel more balanced and less irritable.
Remove caffeine from your diet. Stop drinking soda, coffee, and energy drinks and do not eat an excessive amount of chocolate. Caffeine is really a stimulant which can make it more difficult so that you can relax your brain and the muscles of one's jaw, especially at night.
Avoid alcohol. Alcohol is a depressant which will make it more difficult for you to sleep healthily. Teeth grinding tends to get worse after alcohol consumption. Though alcoholic beverages might make it easier so that you can fall asleep, it shall cause you to sleep a less restful, more shallow sleep, that may increase your teeth grinding.
Stop chewing on non-foods. Stop yourself from stress-related habits that have to do with your mouth. For example, if you tend to chew on pencils or pens when you are stressed out, you should eliminate that habit.If this is particularly challenging, you can chew gum or suck on a mint whenever the urge is had by you to chew on non-foods, and wean yourself from them slowly.
Train yourself never to clench your jaw through the full day. If you observe that your jaw is tense or your teeth are gritted together, practice relaxing the jaw by placing the end of your tongue between your teeth.
Add magnesium and supplements to your diet. Magnesium and calcium are essential for muscle function and anxious system health. If you don't have sufficient, you can have issues with clenching, tension, along with other muscle problems.
- This home remedy may take up to five weeks to work.
Relax before bed. It is important to reduce stress before bed so that you're more relaxed during the night and therefore less likely to grind your teeth. Here are some ways to relax before bed and have a more restful sleep:
- Massage the muscles in your neck, shoulders, and face prior to going to sleep.Use your fingertips and palms to massage therapy the relative sides of one's head, jaw and forehead in calming circular motions.
- Soak a washcloth in warm water and keep it against your cheek before your earlobe. This can help muscle tissue to relax and unclench.
- Take a cozy washcloth and keep it over all of your face. This can both help muscle tissue relax and put you in a calmer state of mind.
- Turn on soothing music or white noise to help achieve a calm state of mind as you drift off to sleep.
- Read in bed for at least half an hour before you sleep. This will help you get ready for sleep.
- Turn off the television, computer, and any bright lights at least an hour before bed. Minimize your sensory experience before you fall asleep.
Part 3 of 3: Professional and Medical Remedies
See a dentist for general help. If your teeth grinding persists, you should go in to see a dentist as chronic teeth grinding can result in fracturing, loosening, or lack of teeth. In the event that you grind your teeth too consistently, you may even need bridges, crowns, root canals, implants, partial dentures, or even complete dentures. Your dentist will be able to assess which treatments will work best for you. Here are some treatments your dentist may recommend based on the severity of your symptoms:
- Muscle relaxants. Bruxism is quite treated with medication rarely, but sometimes muscles botox and relaxants could be recommended to loosen the jaw and stop teeth grinding.
- Having onlays or crowns place onto your teeth. If your bruxism has caused harm to the teeth, your bite may be out of alignment. If this is actually the full case, your dentist may use onlays or crowns to reshape the top of your teeth to be able to repair your bite.
- Mouth guards could be custom-fitted by your dental practitioner or can be purchased over-the-counter. However, mouth guards are generally soft and may dislodge during teeth grinding. A custom-made mouthguard is usually significantly more expensive than an over-the-the counter 1 (though much of the cost may be covered by your insurance), but it will fit your teeth more easily and will create less discomfort.
- Self-adjusting mouth guards made of ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA) are an affordable alternative to try, before committing to the investment of a custom made mouth guard. These mouth guards can easily be molded in hot water and thus adjusted to your bite.
- Dental splints are constructed of hard acrylic and match over either your top or lower teeth. They are also worn at night in order to protect your teeth from being damaged.
Get your teeth fixed cosmetically (optional). If bruxism offers affected how your teeth look and you wish to change that, you can observe a cosmetic dentist to discuss options.If your teeth have already been terrain or shortened down by teeth-grinding, a cosmetic dental practitioner can rebuild and reshape one's teeth using oral veneers or crowns.These treatments will restore the appearance of your teeth so they are longer and appearance more even.
Tips
- When you have your mouth closed, don't let your teeth touch. They should only be touching when you're chewing and swallowing.
- While ice is good for most pain, do not use ice in this situation. It will only further the tightening of your jaw, adding to the pain later on. Use a warm washcloth on your face as was mentioned earlier.
- If your jaw hurts, you can take a pain reliever like ibuprofen to provide temporary relief.
- Severe teeth grinding can lead to the fracturing, loosening or loss of teeth. It can also affect your jaw and lead to TMD/TMJ, so if you find yourself grinding your teeth often, you should consult a dentist immediately.
- Some people have been known to develop bruxism after starting antidepressant medication. If this is the case, contact your doctor to see if you can use a different drug or take a medicine that will counteract your teeth grinding
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